BEIJING — China has strengthened personal information protection in the fight against the novel coronavirus, banning the use of individuals' information for purposes other than epidemic control and medical treatment.

According to a circular issued on Feb 9 by the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, any institutions or individuals except those authorized by the health authorities are not allowed to collect and use individuals' personal information without their consent, even for the purpose of epidemic control and disease treatment.

The collection of personal information for the joint prevention and control of the epidemic should follow relevant rules and be limited in principle to key populations including confirmed cases, suspected cases, and close contacts, it said.

The circular stressed that strict data management and technical measures should be put in place to prevent information theft or leaks.

It also encouraged capable companies to analyze and predict the flows of key populations using big data to support the joint prevention and control of the disease.